


seven-five in the morning

by xoratari



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Getting Together, Goshiki Tsutomu Deserves the World, M/M, Shirabu Kenjirou is a Grumpy Barista, ShiratorizawaFanWeek2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24974056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xoratari/pseuds/xoratari
Summary: It’s not that Kenjirou hates his job. He hates waking up early, opening the shop, dealing with loud customers and their obnoxious orders and… well, maybe he does hate his job. But it’s justified, he’d say when at seven in the morning someone steps inside and Kenjirou just knows it’s a loud customer with an obnoxious order. He has one of those faces. Or maybe it’s the bowl-cut.It doesn’t matter how cold or rude Kenjirou acts towards him, or how many insults he writes on his coffee cup, Goshiki’s smile never falters. He’ll always greet him with his stupid toothy grin, ask for his disgusting coffee, and torture him with his constant babbling.(Or: Shirabu isn't as good at pretending as he thought and Goshiki knows more than he lets on.)
Relationships: Goshiki Tsutomu/Shirabu Kenjirou
Comments: 51
Kudos: 142
Collections: Shiratorizawa Fanweek 2020





	seven-five in the morning

**Author's Note:**

> This goes to the other two GoShira stans on Twitter, hope you'll enjoy the food.  
> And shoutout to the GoShira Discord server, thanks for putting this idea in my head!
> 
> Day 1 of [Shiratorizawa Fan Week 2020](https://twitter.com/stzfanweek): Fake Dating - Breakfast - Coffee Shop AU
> 
> Thanks [milnor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/milnor/pseuds/milnor) for beta'ing <3
> 
> There's art for this fic!!!  
> [Sam](https://twitter.com/Tendododo1/status/1277573037265686529) made a grumpy Shirabu, please please go check her art out!!  
> [Chey](https://twitter.com/Cheyannide/status/1278168207388487682) also drew a scene from this fic, go give her some love!!

It’s not that Kenjirou hates his job. He hates waking up early, opening the shop, dealing with loud customers and their obnoxious orders and… well, maybe he does hate his job. But it’s justified, he’d say when at seven in the morning someone steps inside and Kenjirou just knows it’s a loud customer with an obnoxious order. He has one of those faces. Or maybe it’s the bowl-cut.

“Good morning!” Bowl-cut greets at a volume that shouldn’t be allowed at seven in the morning.

“What do you want?” Kenjirou asks. That’s one of the few advantages of opening the store: even if it’s only for a few minutes, he gets to be the only employee at the shop and therefore doesn’t have to be nice.

“Coffee!” Bowl-cut says and Kenjirou has to hold back a groan, staring at him in silence. “Oh,” he blushes, looking down at the handwriting on his palm. “Can I have—uh, a white mocha with extra shots, caramel and vanilla, extra whipped cream and caramel drizzle?”

Kenjirou blinks at him, unimpressed. He’s about to complain, but the shop door opens before he can get the words out. He might not like his job very much, but he needs to keep it if he wants to be able to pay his tuition, and that means being polite to customers once his manager arrives.

“What’s your name?” He asks, ignoring the warning glare he’s sure Semi is throwing his way. He’s annoying like that, demanding he follows protocol even when there’s only one customer in the entire shop. He can still feel Semi’s gaze burning at the back of his neck, but he’s not close enough to read the writing on the coffee cup, so instead of his customer’s name—Goshiki, but who cares?—he writes, ‘ _Bowl-cut brat_ ’.

For once, he’s relieved when more customers arrive, and even more so when Semi steps in to deal with them while Kenjirou prepares Bowl-cut’s annoying drink. Even more annoying is the fact that Goshiki never left the counter, standing there like an idiot and following his every move. “Here’s your sugar with coffee,” he announces, placing the cup on the counter with more force than necessary.

“Thanks!” Goshiki says with a smile so bright it shouldn’t be allowed at seven-five in the morning.

Kenjirou decides right then and there he hates that smile.

Too bad that smile starts showing up every morning and it only keeps growing brighter. Kenjirou’s frown only grows deeper.

“Good morning, Shirabu-san!” Goshiki will say in his annoying, overexcited voice and Kenjirou won’t even try to hide his groan anymore. He won’t ask for his order anymore, either, just give him a stare in silence waiting for whatever monstrosity is coming from his mouth this time. They keep getting more obnoxious each day and a part of Kenjirou starts wondering if he’s just playing with him.

It doesn’t matter how cold or rude Kenjirou acts towards him, or how many insults he writes on his coffee cup, Goshiki’s smile never falters. He’ll always greet him with his stupid toothy grin, ask for his disgusting coffee, and torture him with his constant babbling. Goshiki doesn’t seem to mind, perfectly able to carry an entire conversation on his own.

That’s how Kenjirou learns all about his classes, his team, his roommate, even about every single dog he meets on his way home. Now he knows Goshiki had to drop a few classes because they took too much time away from volleyball, he’s just been designated ace of this team but it’s not enough and he won’t stop until he’s captain, his roommate just got a new boyfriend and while Goshiki doesn’t really get their relationship because they’re always bickering, they seem to be happy, and he really really _really_ wants a dog but they’re not allowed on his building.

It’s not that Kenjirou has been actually paying attention to what he says, Goshiki is just that loud. The last thing he wants is to encourage him to keep rambling, so when Goshiki asks if he saw his last game, Kenjirou says he was busy, even if he recorded it and watched it before bed. And if Goshiki shows him a picture of a dog, he’ll say ‘ _eh, they’re okay,_ ’ despite having himself a growing folder of pictures on his phone because now every time he sees a dog he wonders how Goshiki would react.

And if Kenjirou starts opening the shop earlier, it’s not because he wants to. He woke up, had nothing better to do, and decided to head to work twenty minutes before his usual time because why not. It has nothing to do with Goshiki always waiting for him there, ready to talk his ear off. At least this way he doesn’t have to deal with Semi’s knowing smiles.

He used to think not having to deal with Goshiki altogether would’ve been even better, until one day he gets what he wants: when Kenjirou gets to the shop, there’s no one waiting for him.

An hour into his shift, Kenjirou’s already messed up his third order of the morning when Semi calls him aside. 

“What’s wrong, Shirabu?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” he scoffs, ripping his gaze away from the door.

“I’m sure he was busy,” Semi says in what Kenjirou assumes is trying to be a comforting tone. It only sounds annoying. “He’ll probably show up later.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Hmm,” Semi cocks his head and Kenjirou knows he’s going to hate whatever he says next. “Tall, loud, kinda cute?”

“I couldn’t care less whether Goshiki shows up or not.” The words are out of his mouth before his brain catches up and tries to stop him.

“Oh,” Semi’s lips curve in a knowing smirk, “So you do know his name…”

“Only because he won’t stop annoying me,” Kenjirou huffs. “Why does he have to keep coming at the start of my shift, all smiles and talk and _how is your day going_?” He places his cup on the counter with more force than necessary, splashing coffee all over the wooden surface. “I don’t know how my day is going, it just started!” Grabbing a washcloth, he starts wiping down the countertop, ignoring whatever signs Semi is making with his hands. “Who the fuck is so happy and talks so much at seven in the morning without first having coffee?” Kenjirou can barely open his eyes before his first cup of the day, let alone keep a conversation going. “And why does he even need coffee, anyway? He’s already awake! Besides—”

His rant is cut short when he hears someone snickering behind him. Kenjirou turns to level whoever that was with a glare that only lasts until his eyes move slightly to the stranger’s right. Goshiki is standing there, face red as he looks down at his feet. Kenjirou opens his mouth to say something, anything, but what could he possibly say? He has no doubt Goshiki heard everything, the whole shop probably heard him. 

“Hi, there!” The stranger speaks before Kenjirou can even try to apologize. “May I have your most disgusting coffee and a tea latte?” He grins and there’s nothing Kenjirou wants more than to throw a hot cup of coffee to his face. “Name’s Tendou, by the way!”

He recognizes the name as Goshiki’s roommate, and if Kenjirou ever felt sorry for the guy who has to deal with Goshiki on a daily basis, the feeling is completely gone now that he’s met him.

“Satori, what did I tell you about coming here?” Semi asks, and it’s not until Tendou whines ‘ _But I missed my boyfriend, SemiSemi_ ’ that Kenjirou understands who he’s referring to.

“I think it’s time for your break,” Semi turns to Kenjirou before he can even try to process that information, taking the coffee cup from him. “And you’d better apologize later.”

Kenjirou scoffs, happy to let Semi take over his order but making no move to leave for his break, rooted in place by the looks Goshiki keeps sending his way from where he’s sitting. He knows Semi is right, but whatever chances he had to apologize are gone when Tendou heads first to Goshiki’s table, setting the tea latte in front of him and taking the coffee for himself.

Tendou’s eyes go wide when he looks at the side of his cup and that’s when Kenjirou remembers he didn’t get to write on it this time—Semi did. What on Earth did he write that had Tendou laughing so loudly and Goshiki’s face even redder? The only answer he gets from Semi is ‘ _I don’t know what you’re talking about_ ’ and all Kenjirou can do is stare at them until they leave. Goshiki throws away his cup but Tendou doesn’t, instead giving it to Goshiki. Why someone would want to keep an empty coffee cup is beyond him, but Goshiki packs it into his bag’s pocket and, throwing a last glance at Kenjirou, leaves the shop.

Kenjirou is still thinking about it hours later, lying on his bed unable to sleep when his phone rings. He stares at the screen saying it’s an unknown number, about to reject the call when something tells him to take it.

“Shirabu-san?” The voice on the other side of the line says. 

He’s sure he’d recognize that voice anywhere after hearing it for twenty minutes non-stop every morning. He still asks, “Who is it?”

“It’s Goshiki,” he replies and Kenjirou has no idea what to say. How did he get his number? Why is his stomach clenching with guilt? He must’ve taken too long to reply, because Goshiki adds, “Uh, the bowl-cut brat…”

“I know who you are, Goshiki,” Kenjirou says, realizing just how much he hates it when Goshiki calls himself that. _Huh_. “What do you need?”

“I wanted to apologize for today.” As if it wasn’t bad already, Kenjirou’s stomach feels worse now. Or is that his heart? “And for the other days, too, I guess…”

“You don’t… You don’t have to apologize,” Kenjirou rushes to say. Of course, Semi was right, he should’ve said something sooner. “I was out of line.”

“It’s okay,” Goshiki laughs and it shouldn’t make Kenjirou sad, but it feels cold and detached and those aren’t words Goshiki should be associated with. “You didn’t say anything I haven’t heard before.”

“Fuck,” Kenjirou mutters under his breath. “I’m sorry, it’s—it’s been a weird day,” he says, unable to find a better word to describe it. “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

“It’s alright! I hope it’s going better now.”

“Thanks. I—Uh,” Kenjirou shifts uncomfortably on his bed. He almost wishes Goshiki were mad at him. “I hope yours wasn’t too bad.”

“I’ve been better… I feel—Ah! Sorry, you probably don’t want to hear about my problems…”

“I do,” Kenjirou says, surprised to find he actually means it. “What is it?”

It takes Goshiki three ‘yes, I’m sure’ to break into a long rant that Kenjirou can’t quite follow. He still listens to his every word, though, as he goes on and on about how much pressure he’s under, how hard it is to live up to everyone’s expectations of him, how it never seems to be enough even if he’s giving it his all. “And there’s this… thing I have to attend,” he keeps going, “I don’t wanna go on my own but I don’t have a date and none of my friends can go, so that’s just gonna be one more disappointment to them…”

Kenjirou knows he’s going to regret his next words. He still says them, “I’ll do it,” because he can’t stand how sad the voice at the other side of the line sounds, how distant it sounds from the bright and lively voice annoying him every morning.

The line stays quiet for a whole minute. Kenjirou’s about to check if the call has been cut off when Goshiki speaks, “Really? Why?”

“To make up for today,” Kenjirou says. He’s not sure he believes it himself.

Kenjirou knew he would regret it. What he didn’t know was just how much. When he gets to Goshiki’s apartment two days later, he’s met with the fact that the ‘thing’ is a wedding, and with ‘date’ Goshiki meant a boyfriend. That explains why he asked him to wear a suit, but not why he looks about to pass out when Kenjirou even mentions the idea of going back home and leaving him on his own.

Watching Goshiki’s cousin get married was boring, just like any other wedding, and Kenjirou would’ve probably been able to sleep through it if it weren’t for Goshiki’s leg jumping up and down constantly. In the three months he’s been visiting the coffee shop, Kenjirou has never seen him so antsy. It doesn’t matter how many times Kenjirou elbows him to stop or how many times Goshiki apologizes in return, he’s doing it again not two minutes after. If Kenjirou takes his hand, it’s because it’s starting to make him anxious too, not because he wants Goshiki to feel better. And if he blushes when Goshiki interlaces their fingers and thanks him with a shy smile, it’s because it’s too damn warm inside the salon and his tie is starting to suffocate him, not because he just realized how much he missed that smile.

Goshiki’s weird mood starts making sense when they sit down with his parents for dinner. Neither of them seems to be pleased by Kenjirou’s presence, even less so after him being introduced as Goshiki’s boyfriend, but the way Goshiki is clutching his hand reminds him leaving him behind is not an option. He navigates their questioning with swiftness, no matter how passive-aggressive; it isn’t something he hasn’t faced before with his own family. But holding himself back isn’t so easy when they go for Goshiki instead, and the boy whose voice used to annoy him so much is now too quiet.

“When are you going to get yourself together, Tsutomu?” His mother asks.

“I’m graduating next year,” Goshiki says, “And then I’ll—”

“You know perfectly well that’s not what your mother meant,” his father intervenes. “When are you going to get a proper job?”

“I have a proper job.”

“Playing catch with a ball isn’t a proper job,” his father scoffs. “You should’ve been about to graduate and work a real job by now, instead you insist on wasting your time,” he says. “Look at your cousin! He’s just been promoted to a regional manager, he’s all done with his studies and now getting married. It’s about time you stopped being a disappointment.”

Goshiki opens his mouth to reply but Kenjirou speaks first. “A disappointment?” He huffs, ignoring how Goshiki is almost crushing his fingers. “If he’s taking fewer classes, it’s so he can focus on his career!”

“His career? Running behind—”

“He’s the ace of a team in the top division!” Kenjirou snaps. “Do you have any idea how many players _dream_ of having that skill? Do you know how much effort that takes? Have you ever done anything other than sit behind your desk ordering your employees around?”

“Who do you think you are, talking to me like this?” Goshiki’s father says, before turning to his son. “See? Even now you keep trying to embarrass us, Tsutomu, bringing your boyfriend to a family event.”

Again, Kenjirou speaks before Goshiki can even try. “Yes, you know, everything Tsutomu ever does is to embarrass you,” he scoffs. “Not because he’s passionate or because he wants to get better or because he’s fucking good at what he’s doing.” Goshiki’s father looks livid and Kenjirou’s past the point of caring. “But if you want to talk about embarrassment so bad, then I hope everyone here sees this,” he says and pulls Goshiki down by his collar to smash their lips together.

He hears a gasp but he can’t find it in himself to care, not when Goshiki is cupping his cheek with a shaky hand and kissing him back. It’s warm and wet—is he crying?—and he doesn’t want to pull back, doesn’t matter who’s watching or whatever Goshiki’s parents are saying. But it’s just pretend, he reminds himself, so he does pull back. He regrets it the moment his eyes meet Goshiki’s, glassy and confused, and all he can do to stop himself from saying something stupid is get up on his feet. “C’mon, Tsutomu,” he says, ignoring everyone else’s stares, “Let’s dance.”

Goshiki doesn’t complain when Kenjirou drags him to the dance floor, and he doesn’t complain when he curls his arms around his neck. All Goshiki does is wrap his arms tightly around his waist and hide his face on the crook of his neck.

Kenjirou doesn’t complain when his shoulder feels wet, and doesn’t mention his suit is a rental or how now he’s going to have to pay an extra fee for dry cleaning.

It only takes one song for Goshiki to pull himself together, looking at Kenjirou with some sort of newfound confidence that makes his knees weak. “Sorry about that,” Goshiki chuckles, his cheeks the prettiest shade of pink. Since when does Kenjirou think of Goshiki in those terms? 

“It’s alright,” Kenjirou says. “I’m sorry I snapped at them… I didn’t mean to make things worse for you.”

“You didn’t,” Goshiki smiles a sad smile. “They needed to hear that… And I guess I did, too.”

Kenjirou wants to say that he shouldn’t need to hear those words, he should know them by heart already because they’re true. He’s never been good at comforting people, though, so instead he just nods, letting Goshiki take the lead as a new song starts.

They’re by the third song when Goshiki is finally smiling again, by the fifth when he laughs, and Kenjirou’s lost count when Goshiki asks, “Can I kiss you again?”

Kenjirou could swear his breathing stopped, the music stopped, the whole world stopped, but that can’t be possible because everyone around them is still dancing. Everyone but him, mind blank like an idiot and it’s Goshiki’s smile falling that makes him react. “Are your parents still watching?” He asks, because that’s all that this is, right?

Goshiki’s eyes never leave Kenjirou’s before whispering, “Yes.”

Kenjirou pretends not to notice it’s a lie and pulls him down for a kiss. 

Pretending he doesn’t want this to be real isn’t as easy anymore. Goshiki’s warm hand on the small of his back, Goshiki’s slender fingers threading through his hair, Goshiki’s chapped lips sliding against his own. How is he supposed to forget all about it and go back to normal, back to when Goshiki wasn’t more than an annoying customer?

Kenjirou knew he would regret it, although he got the reasons why all wrong. Dinner was a disaster and he still hates weddings, but the mistake was allowing himself to get a taste of something he didn’t know he wanted and doesn’t deserve to have.

It’s almost four am by the time they climb into a car, more drinks and songs and kisses than Kenjirou should have let himself enjoy. There’s no one watching but they’re still holding hands and Kenjirou doesn’t want to let go, so when Goshiki asks him to stay the night at his place Kenjirou doesn’t ask why. He nods and follows Goshiki into his apartment, past the couch in his living room and past his roommate’s empty room and into his bed. “I don’t want to be alone,” Goshiki whispers, “I’m here,” Kenjirou whispers back, pressing a kiss to his forehead and holding him tight in his arms.

He’s still wearing his suit when he wakes up, alone in a bed that’s not his own. The pillow he’s hugging smells of Goshiki, and he kind of hates that’s a thing he knows now. He could’ve lived without that knowledge, just like he didn’t need to learn Goshiki has glow-in-the-dark stars glued to his bedroom ceiling and pictures of himself and his friends hanging from fairy lights on the wall.

The scent of coffee and something he can’t quite place calls him to the kitchen, away from this uncomfortable feeling of yearning. He’s about to leave Goshiki’s room when something catches his attention from the corner of his eye. On top of the desk, there’s a row of familiar white and purple coffee cups. They’re all empty. They all have something written in them. ‘Bowl-cut brat’, ‘Loud Idiot’, ‘Would you please lower your volume?’. He doesn’t need to read all of them, he knows what they say. He wrote them—except for the last one. It’s Semi’s writing and it’s a phone number. Kenjirou’s phone number.

Of course it’s Semi’s fault Goshiki got his number, he’s always known the best way to annoy him. It’s when a part of him feels thankful that Kenjirou decides he needs his morning coffee before his mind keeps coming up with nonsense.

It isn’t hard finding the kitchen—all he has to do is follow Goshiki’s humming. He’s awfully out of tune and Kenjirou really, really wishes he could say how annoying it is. Maybe he can still say so, in the sense that it’s adorable and now he won’t be able to stop thinking about it.

Goshiki is making coffee, too much into his rendition of whatever song he’s butchering to notice Kenjirou padding into the kitchen, so he takes the chance to study him. He looks nothing like he did last night. His eyes are still red and puffy, his hair is standing at odd angles, but there’s that light in him again that Kenjirou doesn’t seem to be able to tear his gaze away from.

He steps closer, desperate to ignore the feeling bubbling up his chest. “I hope that’s for me,” he asks, peeking from behind him. Goshiki’s squeal almost leaves him deaf but it’s worth it when he looks at him from under his messy bangs, all red in the face.

“How long have you been there?!” Goshiki looks so flustered, Kenjirou has to bite his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling. “I don’t drink coffee,” he says when he doesn’t get a reply. “It makes me too… me.”

Kenjirou is still trying to understand what that’s supposed to mean when he realizes something doesn’t make any sense. “You’ve been ordering coffee every day for the past three months.”

“Ah!” Goshiki’s blush grows ten shades deeper. “Tendou-san was late for a class so he asked me to get him his coffee…” He starts, fiddling with the hem of his oversized shirt. “Then I—uh, started offering to get it for him…”

“Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Kenjirou thinks it is, but he still says, “No.”

“I…” Goshiki stares at him for a whole minute as if considering his next words. “I wanted to see the grumpy barista, I guess…”

“Why?” Kenjirou insists, ignoring the urge to protest the nickname. “It’s not like I’ve been particularly nice.”

“Well… Not at first,” Goshiki chuckles. Kenjirou can’t even find it in himself to be mad when he knows he had it coming. “But I know you were listening most of the time, even if you pretended not to,” he adds with a cheeky grin.

Kenjirou raises an eyebrow, wishing he could deny that. “What makes you think that?”

“You were really fast with my orders at first,” Goshiki says, “But then it started taking you like double the time.”

“That’s because your orders kept becoming more and more annoying to make,” Kenjirou argues, but the lopsided grin lingering on Goshiki’s face tells him he’s not buying it.

“I know you talked a lot about me to your manager.”

“I complained about you.”

“According to Semi-san, that’s the same.” Goshiki’s smile is so smug by now all Kenjirou can think about is kissing it off his face. “He also told me you watch all my games.”

‘Traitor,’ Kenjirou thinks. “Maybe he should learn to mind his own business.”

“You know how else I know you care?”

Kenjirou stays silent because opening his mouth would mean admitting that yes, he does care a whole more than he ever expected. It still seems to be enough of an answer for Goshiki, his smile going softer.

“Everything you told my father last night… Did you really mean it?”

Kenjirou looks away, cheeks warm. “I don’t say things I don’t mean.”

“You call me annoying all the time!” Goshiki argues.

“You are annoying!” It must’ve not come out as harsh as he intended, for Goshiki laughs and it’s the sweetest sound Kenjirou’s ever heard. “Yes, Goshiki…” He admits with a sigh. “I meant everything I said.”

“Tsutomu,” Goshiki says and Kenjirou blinks, confused. “You called me Tsutomu last night.”

“That’s—” Kenjirou wets his lips, “That’s just because I was pretending to be your boyfriend.”

“You could be, for real…” Goshiki’s voice is so low, Kenjirou can barely hear it over the sound of his heart pounding against his ribcage, “My boyfriend, I mean.”

“Yeah,” he breathes out, “I’d like that, Tsutomu.”

“Does that mean you’ll start writing nicer things on my orders?” Tsutomu asks. “I’ve been keeping my favorites.”

“I’ll think about it,” Kenjirou rolls his eyes, the corners of his mouth quirking up. It’s a good thing at some point he ran out of ideas to write on Tsutomu’s cups, or he would’ve probably turned him into a hoarder. Wrapping his arms around Tsutomu’s neck, he pulls him closer, stopping just short of his lips.

That’s all it takes for Tsutomu to meet him halfway, his laugh still ringing in Kenjirou’s ears as they kiss. It tastes like morning breath, the edge of the countertop is pressed uncomfortably against his back, and Tsutomu’s hand on the side of his neck is way too cold, but Kenjirou can’t say he minds. And when they part for air, foreheads pressed against each other, Kenjirou doesn’t find Tsutomu’s smile as annoying as he used to. Somewhere along the way he’s started falling in love with it, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated!
> 
> Please talk to me about GoShira on [Tumblr](https://allmycharactersaregay.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/xoratari/)!!


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